Less Than Nothing

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"For me?" Andrea smiles, as I place a fresh cup of coffee and a donut on her desk. "Isn't this a lovely surprise."

"Lovely surprise, for a lovely person." I reply, my smile matching hers in size.

Drea takes the coffee, while surveying me with great fascination.

"You're awfully chipper for a Monday. Somebody must've had a good weekend," she hums, narrowing her eyes in excitement.

Good weekend is an understatement.

I had the best weekend.

Ryan and I returned from the lake house last night, and my head has yet to return from the clouds.

It was perfect.

Of course, Ryan was still Ryan. Still irritating, still smug. But even so, I can't remember the last time I enjoyed myself this much.

And, despite my best efforts to ignore it, I have finally admitted to myself that what's going on between us is more than just sex.

I think it's been this way for some time.

The feeling I get whenever I witness the corners of his mouth fold into a smile has permanently found a home underneath my skin. And that feeling goes much farther than any sexual act can.

"I sure did."

Making sure the door is closed, I take a seat on the edge of her desk.

"Ryan took me to his lake house this weekend."

The excitement on Andrea's face spreads.

"Holy shit." She gapes. "Forgive me...but isn't that like, way out of friends-with-benefits territory?

"It is." I don't deny it. "We've crossed every boundary at this point. Literally, every single one."

"I see that." She sips the coffee. "You and loverboy are crazy for each other."

"Crazy is an interesting word choice, but yes, I definitely feel strongly towards him."

This is my first time admitting my feelings out loud. To my surprise, though I'm still riddled with fear about how this whole thing will play out, it feels good.

Feels good to allow someone I care about to inhabit the previously vacant parts of my heart.

Andrea, already late for a meeting, makes me promise to fill her in on the details of this weekend later. And as for me, I also find that it'd be a good idea to return to my office and tackle the list of things Adrienne has left for me.

As I stroll down the hallway to my office, I notice somebody sitting in Adrienne's waiting area. A woman. One leg is crossed over the other, as she casually swipes at her phone screen.

"Hi..." I steal her attention. "May I help you?"

Adrienne is not expecting visitors today, I would know, I manage her schedule. She's not even currently at the atelier.

The girl looks up at me, caught by surprise at my presence. Staring through a bundle of long, full eyelashes, I quickly note how beautiful she is. The ends of her shoulder length black hair are neat, and crisp, like they've just been cut hours ago. And although her face rests in a neutral position, her cheekbones are so defined that they peek through her skin anyway.

"Are you one of Mrs.Walker's new models? Because if so, she won't be here until later."

She looks at me, confused, before settling on a laugh. And that's when I make out a row of pearly white teeth.